First-year Tennessee athletics director John Currie’s mantra of “Will it help us win?” is being tested.

Currie’s Twitter header photo that displays him on a phone call with a caption asking “will it help us win?” in orange and white is at the forefront of the Volunteers’ football program now, whether he wants it to be or not.

Saturday night, Currie made his first public appearance alongside the football program in a while. He paused on the sideline after the 45-7 loss at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the weight of Tennessee’s past month seemingly upon him — the last-play loss at Florida, the four-point win over UMass, the 41-0 home loss to Georgia, coming up short against South Carolina and the just-concluded 38-point loss at Alabama.

Tennessee is now 3-4 on the season and winless in SEC play ahead of a road contest at Kentucky. The Vols have been outscored 127-36 in their four SEC games, leaving doubt as to whether Team 121 can reach three wins down the stretch to become bowl eligible.

Based on Currie’s body language Saturday night, he is deeply concerned.

The fan base has been vocal about its displeasure with fifth-year coach Butch Jones. Alumni and boosters are not happy with the direction of the program, based on social media and the radio airwaves — and now, even businesses throughout the state are chiming in.

Ideally, Currie does not want to be thinking about making a change after only six months on the job. He would rather have Jones remain the caretaker of Tennessee football if he can do so in a competitive manner. The sooner a change happens, the sooner Currie’s clock starts ticking with his hiring results as athletics director being graded.

Nonetheless, it’s time.

If “it’s all about our kids” as Jones has mentioned, then the past five games clearly signal that the players deserve new leadership.

“They’re working very, very hard,” Jones said of his players after the Alabama game. “I hurt for them, because they invest so much in it. And, you know, like I told ’em, right now our leadership’s being challenged, our maturity’s being challenged, but we have to continue to stay together and work.

“And how you feel in that locker room right now, you have to apply it to during the week, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, all that in terms of sacrificing and committing and taking pride in your preparation.”

As the stretch run of the season unfolds, Currie should be judged right along with Jones. Is every day with Jones still in place setting the program back?

Currie needs to weigh the best interests of the players, fans, alumni and boosters and find some way to put a light at the end of the Vols’ 2017 tunnel. Continuing to believe that Jones can somehow provide that light is a risky proposition.